Steve McCaskill is editor of TechWeekEurope and ChannelBiz. He joined
as a reporter in 2011 and covers all areas of IT, with a particular interest in telecommunications, mobile and networking, along with sports technology.

Pure Broadband will deliver 1Gbps broadband to businesses in Hull and East Yorkshire using Cityfibre FTTP network, offering choice to KCOM

Pure Broadband will deliver 1Gbps broadband services to businesses in Hull using CityFibre’s fibre to the premise (FTTP) network, giving firms an alternative to KC – the dominant player in East Yorkshire.

CityFibre’s network in the city already powers backhaul services for EE and Three and now its 62 kilometres of fibre will be used for business broadband. The company does not offer broadband services itself and instead agrees wholesale deals with third parties.

The development will be welcomed by the campaigners who claim KCOM enjoys a virtual monopoly in the city, with Openreach and Virgin Media absent.

Unlike BT, which is using fibre to the cabinet (FTTC) for the majority of its superfast broadband rollout, KCOM is using fibre to the premise (FTTP).

In an interview with TechWeekEurope earlier this year, KCOM claimed that the unique characteristics of the network allow it to do this more cost effectively than BT would be able to do nationally. However it appears as though rollout has been slower than in the rest of the UK, even if KCOM claims adoption of superfast in Hull is higher than the national average.

“We’re delighted to be able to offer world-class digital infrastructure to cities like Hull, who have historically had extremely slow broadband speeds,” said Rob Hamlin, commercial director at CityFibre. “By working with Pure Broadband, businesses in Hull can now capitalise on gigabit speed internet connectivity to compete and succeed in a digital world.”

“We’re extremely happy that CityFibre has chosen us as their launch partner in the city and look forward to delivering a range of fibre fed products which will finally put Hull on the map as a true digital city,” added Adrian Bolster, managing director of Pure Broadband. “The key message from Pure is that this is here, now, it is time for Hull to join the Gigabit revolution.”

CityFibre actually agreed a deal to buy KCOM’s networks outside Hull and East Yorkshire for £90 million in December, helping it to expand its national presence. The sale sae CityFibre’s national footprint rise by 300 percent, comprising 1,100km of network in 24 UK cities and another 1,100 connecting cities to major data centres and Internet peering points in London.